Ranger's Apprentice: The Tantalizing Tales

Smile for me

In which a smile is all it takes to save the day.

~~~

Halt had once complained about how luminous her smile was. Pauline had admitted that it could be most unprofessional. Both of them had not been serious - not entirely, anyhow. Her smile was her own double-edged sword, her strongest weapon and her biggest weakness. As it was his. To see it appear brought the biggest joy in his life, to see it falter broke his heart.

They kneeled on the ground, surrounded by the papers she'd thrown down in frustration, foreheads touching, breaths clashing. His thumbs caressed her cheeks, wiped away the tears that silently streamed down.

"Smile for me," he whispered. Show me you have faith in me, it meant. She did. She always did.

So she smiled. For him.

And he moved forward to press his mouth against hers, to preserve that smile, take it in, keep it, and never let go.

It was her smile. For him.

---

Pauline had spent half her life looking into that beautiful grin of his. Had audibly expressed her wish to Halt that he'd never lose it. Had wished - day and day again - that it would come back to her.

So to have him here, with her, that smile lurking around the corner, waiting for her to call it, was the only thing she had always known she wanted.

"Smile for me," she whispered against his lips. Tell me everything will be alright, it meant. He did. He always did.

So he smiled. For her.

She could feel the corners of his mouth move up and had to move back to see it. There it was. The cheshire grin on a face tanned by the sun, lined by unruly hair that could make or break her. It was a poem of itself.

But most importantly - it was his smile. For her.